NEWARK — A museum exhibit celebrating the life and success of Whitney Houston debuts later this month in the same city where she was born and originally shared her phenomenal vocal gift.

Whitney!, set to debut on Oct. 19 at the Grammy Museum Experience located inside the Prudential Center, aims to give fans an intimate look into all aspects of Houston's life, from her start with the New Hope Baptist Church, through her chart-topping career that resulted in over 200 million albums, singles and videos sold internationally.

The exhibit, with the help of the Houston Estate, will feature never-before-seen artifacts such as her childhood bible and performance outfits dating back to the early 1990s, along with rewards and accolades received throughout her career, and commentary from artists and musicians influenced by Houston.

"The fact that Whitney Houston was born and raised in New Jersey — particularly Newark — it made total sense to open the exhibit in Newark," said Bob Santelli, founding executive director of the Grammy museums in California, Mississippi, New Jersey and Tennessee.

Santelli said the exhibit will be accompanied by "a full menu of public education programs" that will complement the exhibit in a number of ways.

A six-time Grammy winner, Houston was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013. Houston died in 2012 in Beverly Hills, California, where she was found unresponsive in a bathtub on the eve of that year's Grammy awards.

Whitney! will remain open until June 30, 2019. Tickets to the Grammy Museum Experience Prudential Center range from $7 to $10. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on non-event days and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on event days.

"This is the premiere of this exhibit, and we will look now, once it's open, to determine there's interest for it to travel to other areas," Santelli said.

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.

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